Jar of Hearts
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Blair had so many questions, but in a way, she didn't need them answered, not now. Not after that kiss.  Set after Todd's return, after his first kiss with Blair. rated for sexual situations and mild language. AU
1. He returns

Todd was back. Or at least Blair thought he was. She was so confused, as was everyone else. There was no way he could be Todd, Todd was alive and well and living in Llanview for years. Everyone knew that. This man had to be an imposter. But there was something about that kiss, and the way he looked at her, and in her heart she knew the truth. Todd was back, and there was only one man that she had given her heart too all those years ago. There was one Todd Manning, and that man had come back to the woman who truly loved him.

Blair had so many questions, but in a way, she didn't need them answered, not now. Not after that kiss. After that, maybe in her head she still had doubts and questions but her feelings told her everything she needed to know. Somehow she _knew_. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that there was something not quite right about that other man. Yet she let him into her life and her children's lives, and she was beginning to hate herself for it. She had no choice. When she thought Todd was dead she had grieved and had grabbed onto the first opportunity to welcome him back into their lives. How she would ever explain that to Todd, she would never know. The Todd Manning she knew would never forgive that. But he still wanted her. She could just tell. And the thought filled her mind with endless possibilities, and it chilled her to the bone.

Somehow, as if reading her mind as he always did, Todd showed up at her door. He didn't knock- he never did. He was used to taking what was his, and it was clear that he considered Blair his. Some things would never change.

"Blair," he said simply.

She couldn't help it, her eyes focused on the familiar scar on his face. He could sense it but said nothing.

"What do you want Todd?" she said coolly, her voice betraying her.

"What do you think I want? I want my family back. I want what's mine. I think I deserve that."

"You can't just come back into our lives thinking that nothing's changed. Everything has changed."

"Why not? Do you think that I wanted this? Do you think I wanted what happened to me to happen?"

Blair looked at him, afraid of the answer. "What …what happened?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does matter. A lot of things happened. You're a grandfather now."

Todd's eyes widened with rage. "You mean… Starr? I'll kill the son of a bitch. Who is he?" He started to pace the room, and Blair did not doubt his words.

Blair grabbed him. "No, you can't do that. I'm not telling you."

"Blair you tell me who it is or I swear to God…"

"You swear you'll what, you'll disappear again? You'll disappoint your kids like you have time and time again?"

.

Now it was Todd's turn to grab Blair. "You listen to me. I did _not _choose to do this to my kids! I did not walk away from them. I would never leave my kids! Do you understand me?" He shook her until he saw the fear in her eyes, then he let her go. "I'm … I'm sorry Blair. Do you want me to go."

"No. Don't go. Stay." She looked into the eyes and saw the hurt, and she couldn't help herself. She saw the man that she knew and always loved. Always. Despite her own feelings of hurt and betrayal she couldn't help herself. She gave in to those feelings and kissed him, catching them both by surprise. Todd did not hesitate- he always was a man of opportunity. He reached over and grabbed her by the back of her head and kissed her back, with as much passion of a man of a mysterious past could. As much as Blair hated herself for it, she willingly gave in to his strength, and allowed herself to be taken. Todd grabbed her, touched her, tasted her. Reaching under her shirt, he fumbled with her bra until he unsnapped it with one quick motion, while at the same time leaning against her until she fell against the couch, kissing her the entire time. Blair returned the favor, moving her hand underneath his shirt, feeling the familiarity of his chest. It had been so long, but this was definitely Todd. Her Todd.

Next to come off were her pants. Eye contact wasn't always Todd's strong suit, especially during sex, but he wanted to make sure this was okay, so he looked at her, and Blair smiled and nodded, and she helped him remove them as well as her panties. Her breathing increased and he knew that she wanted this as much as he did, but he still wanted-needed- to make sure. Blair stared him in the eyes as she removed his jeans and boxers, then felt his hard-on, preparing him for what was about to happen. She knew him, and she knew that he needed every bit of reassurance that what they were doing was okay with her.

He didn't have time for all of that. He needed her and so he moved her hand aside and quickly entered her, moving quickly with all of the motions of a man who had been denied even the most basic of human contact for God knew how long. Blair bit her lip, trying not to cry out, but a soft moan still escaped her mouth as he had his way with her. Finally he couldn't contain himself any more as he released and then collapsed beside her, not daring to look at her.

After they dressed, Blair ran her fingers through his hair. Sometimes she really missed his long hair, but she knew that for him, it was a painful reminder of his past. They had connected, and he had definitely left no doubt that he was her man and always would be. Let the doubters doubt. She knew with no uncertainty that Todd Manning was back, and needed no blood test to tell her anything else.

"Blair.." Todd started.

"Yes?"

"Thanks," Todd mumbled. "I.."

"Ssh," she placed her finger on his lips, knowing how uncomfortable he was with words of feelings. She knew how he felt, and she knew everything she needed to know. Todd was back, and that was enough for her.

The end


	2. hope

As soon as Todd was able to put together a coherent thought, Blair knew him well enough to know what his first words would be.

"What the hell do you mean I'm a grandfather?" he demanded.

"Now Todd…calm down…it's not that bad. Starr's an amazing mother. She has a beautiful baby girl…her name is Hope.. do you want to see a picture of her?"

Todd thought about it. "No, I want to kill the bastard who did that to her."

Blair ignored him. She knew how he was when he was angry and picked up a picture of Starr and Hope anyways. "Here she is. Isn't she beautiful?"

She could see by her ex-husband's face that he was visibly moved by this child that was part of him as well as part of her. For the man who had an answer for every problem presented to him, for once he was speechless. Instead, he brushed his finger against the photo of Hope's face, then Starr's, as Blair wished she knew what he was thinking.

" She's okay?"

"Yes, Todd. Hope's perfect and Starr's an amazing mom. Todd helps out.."

She realized her mistake as the man she had just made love to stared at her angrily as he tossed the photo on the couch. "I _am _Todd damn it! How could you, Blair? What do I have to do to prove it to you? Are you the town whore who just screws every man in town that claims to be me? Are you really that easy?"

She took a deep breath. She knew she deserved that one. "I'm sorry Todd. I didn't mean.."

"You never mean _anything _do you? You never mean to fall into bed with any of your boyfriends and you never meant to let Starr get pregnant and you never meant to make love to a man who looks nothing like me who called himself Todd Manning who took over _my_ company and was a parent to _my _kids and got his kicks screwing my women. Seriously Blair, you just did me, how could you not know that he wasn't me?"

Blair was starting to get ticked, Todd was backing her into a corner and she knew it. "Todd, I was confused, I was hurt..believe it or not I missed you and I wanted to believe it was you. I convinced myself because everyone told me it was you… I knew in my heart it wasn't but I had to move on with my life or I would have gone crazy. Believe it or not Todd, I know who the love of my life is."

"Yeah yeah tell it to the judge. You can sing me your sad song but you don't know what I've been through…"

"I would if you would tell me!" she grabbed his arm and he pulled it away harshly, causing her to fall back. She grabbed the arm of the couch but she still looked at him.

"What, you want to punish me? You want to run back to him now? Go ahead. That's what you do. You run. But you're not taking my kids. I'm not leaving without them."

"Todd, I will never take your kids from you. When will you ever trust me?"

"When have I ever trusted you? I am not going to let you keep my kids away from me Blair."

"When have I ever held your kids away from you?"

Todd stared at her. Actually they stared at each other in a showdown. Just then Starr and Hope walked in, and Todd's attention focused on his long lost daughter and the granddaughter that he never knew he'd had. Maybe Blair didn't need answers right away; just seeing Todd back and knowing that he was truly alive and okay, well, obviously not quite okay, but knowing that he had come back to her and Starr and Jack meant that there was a glimpse of hope that everything would be right in their world once again. But she could see from the look on her daughter's face that not everything would be quite that easy. It never was, in Llanview.


End file.
